Naga City shaken by 5.3 quake

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 shook Naga City and outlying areas yesterday, but was not strong enough to cause any injuries or damage, officials said.

The temblor, set off by movement in a fault, was centered at sea about 53 kilometers southwest of Naga City, Camarines Sur, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Camarines Sur is about 300 kilometers southeast of Manila.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the quake occurred at 6:09 p.m. and was felt at Intensity 4 in Guinayangan, Quezon and Intensity 3 in Lucban, Quezon,  Metro Manila and Boac, Marinduque.

There were no aftershocks and no tsunami was expected, seismologist Esmeralda Banganan said.

The Philippines sits on the so-called “Pacific Ring Fire,” where earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis frequently occur.

About 20 quakes hit the country daily but only few are felt, Phivolcs said

The quake was felt shortly after nightfall in the tourist district of Ermita, including in a number of buildings and hotels facing Manila Bay. – Helen Flores, AP